150 Russian tanks and jets 'rolling into Georgian breakaway'

[Owais]

Now a bit of humorous reality:

Hahaha I would like to see the same with those European countries who want Missile Defense shield from Uncle Sam.

 

[Owais]

Russia opens 2nd front in Georgia, seizing towns
Updated at: 0702 PST, Tuesday, August 12, 2008


Russia opens 2nd front in Georgia, seizing towns GORI, Georgia: Russian armored vehicles rolled deep into western Georgia on Monday, quickly seizing several towns and a military base and slicing open a damaging second front in Russia's battle with Georgia. Other Russian forces captured the key central city of Gori.

Fighting also raged Monday around Tskhinvali, the capital of the separatist province of South Ossetia. Swarms of Russian planes launched new raids across Georgia, sending screaming civilians running for cover.

The invasions of Gori and the towns of Senaki, Zugdidi and Kurga came despite a top Russian general's claim earlier Monday that Russia had no plans to enter Georgian territory. By taking Gori, which sits on Georgia's only east-west highway, Russia has the potential to effectively cut the country in half.

Security Council head Alexander Lomaia said Monday that it was not immediately clear if Russian forces would try to advance on Tbilisi.

The two-front battlefield was a major escalation in the conflict that blew up late Thursday after a Georgian offensive to regain control of South Ossetia. Even as Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili signed a cease-fire pledge with EU mediators on Monday, Russia appeared determined to subdue the small U.S. ally that has been pressing for NATO membership.

On Monday afternoon, Russian troops invaded Georgia from the western separatist province of Abkhazia while most Georgian forces were in the central region around South Ossetia.

Russian armored personnel carriers moved into Senaki, a town 20 miles inland from Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti, Lomaia said.

Russia opens 2nd front in Georgia, seizing towns - GEO.tv

 

[x_man]

Georgia will probably pay heavily for their miscalculation. By attempting attack on South Ossetia, they have given the Russians the excuse they needed…

Maybe Saakashvili should have got Georgia into NATO first before embarking upon such a reckless course.... The US-trained Georgian army were always going to be woefully inadequate when it comes to fight with Russians...

I've got a nasty feeling this one is going to spread…..

P.S:: Sarkozy is planning to be in Moscow on either today evening or tomorrow morning, I'm not sure what he is going to do there and lets see what will be the outcome.??? ......All world leaders love to meet Sarkozy and have their picture taken with him. This is not because they like him as a person; it has more to do with the fact he's very, very short thus making them appear taller when shaking hands....cool...

 

[Marshal]

France: Cease-fire, not peace reached in Georgia

The Russian and French presidents on Tuesday announced a six-point plan of principles for settling the conflict in Georgia.

We have not achieved peace yet but we have achieved a provisional cease-fire of hostilities," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

The points include Russian agreements to conclude all military operations, return Russian armed forces to the line preceding the beginning of operations, and not use force again in Georgia.

In return Georgia would return its armed forces to their normal and permanent locations.

Both sides would provide free access for humanitarian assistance; and international consideration of the issues of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would be undertaken.

"All we need to do now is to stop suffering, stop the death of people," Sarkozy said. Stopping the fighting "is the most important objective."

He emphasized that the meeting with Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev was not intended to solve all of the issues, such as Georgia's territorial integrity and South Ossetia's desire for independence.

"There are bigger problems relating to South Ossetia that we cannot resolve here," Sarkozy said, who arrived in Moscow as current head of the European Union.

Sarkozy said he and Medvedev agreed Georgia is an independent country and that Russia has no intention of annexing it, but Medvedev also said sovereignty does not mean a country can do whatever it wants.

Medvedev said earlier that he had ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, but Tbilisi reported more attacks after the statement was made.

"I have reached a decision to halt the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace," Medvedev said. "The aggressor has been punished and has incurred very significant losses. Its armed forces are disorganized."

Meanwhile, thousands of Georgians rallied in the country's capital, Tbilisi, following Medvedev's announcement.

.S. officials also told CNN it was considering flying aid from bases in Germany to Georgia. There was also consideration being given to sending U.S. Navy ships into the Black Sea to conduct humanitarian relief missions.

Violence has raged since Thursday when Georgia launched a crackdown on separatist fighters in autonomous South Ossetia, where most people have long supported independence.

Russia -- which supports the separatists -- responded Friday, sending tanks across its border into South Ossetia. The conflict quickly spread to parts of Georgia and to Abkhazia, another separatist region.

Russian said it wanted to stop Georgian military actions against its peacekeepers in the breakaway regions.

The Georgian government said despite Medvedev's announcement, Russian warplanes struck two Georgian villages and bombed an ambulance outside the breakaway province of South Ossetia

The Russian Defense Ministry called the Georgian claims "informational provocations" and believed they would continue, Interfax reported.

The ministry said it had not been "surprised by Georgia's reports alleging Russia is still continuing to fire."

Medvedev warned in his announcement that "when pockets of resistance and other aggressive actions occur," a decision concerning destruction had to be made.

Earlier a Georgian Interior Ministry official said Russian bombs had hit one of the three pipelines carrying oil to the Black Sea port of Poti. There was no oil in the pipeline at the time.

UK-based energy giant BP later said it had shut down two oil pipelines in the region as a "precautionary measure" linked to the security situation. None of its pipelines had been attacked.

A Dutch cameraman was killed on Tuesday morning in an incident in Gori, the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed. He was identified as Stan Storimans, of RTL TV. The correspondent who accompanied him was also injured.

One Russian diplomat told CNN up to 2,000 people had died in the conflict. Up to 100,000 people are thought to have been displaced by the violence, which has left South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali in ruins.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a Tuesday news conference that it wanted a demilitarized zone to be created in Georgian territory before a cease-fire could take effect.

The zone had to be big enough to prevent Georgia's military from attacking the breakaway province, Lavrov said.

He said it would be best if Saakashvili stepped down as Georgia's leader -- something the president has vowed not to do -- but that Russia was not demanding his resignation.


"We have no plans to throw down any leadership," Lavrov said. "It is not part of our culture. It is not what we do."

However, he said Saakashvili's "barbaric and brutal action" had undermined trust in Georgia
http://http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/12/georgia.russia.war/index.html

 

[Owais]

US cancels joint naval exercise with Russia: US defense
Updated at: 0711 PST, Wednesday, August 13, 2008

WASHINGTON: The United States has cancelled a joint naval exercise with Russia in response to the conflict in Georgia, a senior US defense official said Tuesday.

US cancels joint naval exercise with Russia: US defense - GEO.tv

US opposes joint Nato-Russia exercises

WASHINGTON (updated on: August 13, 2008, 02:11 PST): The United States is opposed to holding joint exercises between Nato and Russia later this week following Russian attacks on Georgia, two top US officials said Tuesday.

"We are discussing it," one of the US administration officials told reporters, asking to remain anonymous, in reply to a question about the exercises which are due to start at the end of the week.

"Let us discuss it with the other participants, but I think I can say that it is hard to imagine that this would be fruitful at this time."

The officials also seemed to raise questions about Russia's ongoing efforts to join the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as well as its membership of the Group of Eight most industrialized nations.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday ordered a halt to Moscow's military onslaught against Georgia, but the Tbilisi government reported new attacks and there was a wary international response.

Earlier, Nato had infuriated Russia with a sharp condemnation of the military advance in Georgia and by renewing its pledge that the former Soviet republic would one day belong to the alliance.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]